


History

by lionwolves



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Beautiful Golden Fools, Cersei is a Psychology professor, Established Relationship, F/M, Jaime is a History professor, Professor AU, Reunion, Sibling Incest, Twincest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-01 07:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20811398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionwolves/pseuds/lionwolves
Summary: Jaime starts a new life as a professor at a university far from home. There is only one problem. There is something, or rather someone, missing from this new life. The person that is the same reason he ran away in the first place, and simultaneously the reason that he wants to go back.





	History

Jaime spends far too much time in his office, and subsequently his study when he returns home to his house rather far from campus but just remote enough for his liking. 

He knows this, knows it all too well, and hates that he knows it when Tyrion says it to him on one of his visits. 

In his own defense, he tells him that he has only colleagues, but no friends in this strange town that he’d decided to escape to.

Escape is perhaps the wrong word, but it is somehow befitting to what he did by leaving home and coming here. 

Tyrion’s observations don’t stop there. They never really do. He proceeds to endeavor into the reason why Jaime spends his evenings in a dim lit study delving into any variety of history books that occupy his mind, but both of them know how obvious it is. 

He misses _ her._

Jaime is at the point that he would prefer to deny the fact, and drop the subject altogether, as he downs the rest of the brown liquid in the cup that he allows Tyrion to continue pouring until they have emptied the bottle together.

It doesn’t make him any more willing to talk about it. 

Instead, it makes him sadder and then it makes him wish he could forget his feelings entirely.

The worst consequence is the pounding headache it leaves him when he rises the next morning for his earliest lecture. 

***

Jaime wishes he could tell Tyrion that his colleagues are rude or standoffish because he is new, but that simply isn’t true.

One of which, Brienne, is possibly the closest to that, but even she is cordial and it is simply clear that she isn’t overtly social.

His colleague, Bronn, however, who Jaime isn’t quite sure why he is even a professor because he doesn’t seem like the type, continually attempts to befriend him and offers night outings that Jaime has no interest in.

This time, in the haze of the liquor that failed to make Jaime forget his feelings, he accepts the invitation because he foolishly believes this will.

With Tyrion still in town, he invites him along and he forms a seemingly unlikely friendship with Bronn.

They seem to enjoy themselves very much while Jaime can’t even so much as focus on anything happening around him. 

Despite all the women in this club, he can’t stop thinking about _ her._

Contrary to Tyrion’s belief, this has to be worse than staying in because it has brought his feelings to the surface. 

Besides, he thinks, he shouldn’t have been drinking again so soon after that enormous hangover. A sick feeling rises within him that he tries very hard to ignore. 

Without his knowledge, Bronn sends one of the over girls to him. Tyrion doesn’t exactly stop him, but he should know better. He assumes that her intention is a lap dance, but he doesn’t get to see before he feels a wave of nausea that forces him to bolt to the nearest toilet. 

“I called us a cab back to yours,” He hears Tyrion say behind him.

Jaime wipes his mouth and flushes before he turns around to face his brother, still sitting on the floor.

Tyrion moves closer and sits next to him on the floor. 

“I can’t do this,” Jaime says.

“I know. You don’t have to. We’re going—“

“No. I mean I can’t do this at all.” 

Tyrion swallows as he understands his meaning. “You won’t have to do it forever. You never do.”

“We’re not... she won’t...”

“Our sister can be a cold-hearted woman. She would love to make you suffer and grovel, but the entire time she’d be suffering too... because if nothing else, there is one thing I know to be true. She loves you.”

Jaime exhales shakily. “Is that supposed to be poetic?”

“You two just are, I suppose,” Tyrion responds with a smile. 

They return to Jaime’s house and Tyrion sees that his brother reaches his bed in one piece.

On the next day, Tyrion is reluctant to depart for the airport and leave Jaime alone in this state, but Jaime promises that he will be fine. 

Fine as he will ever be.

***

For the next week, Jaime attempts to settle back into some sort of routine, but everything feels different since Tyrion’s visit.

Before, he could almost pretend that he was just a professor from out of town. He could submerge himself in this new life and in his studies. 

Tyrion’s very presence was reminiscent of home. It brought back the reality of who he was and why he had left. 

The reality shock was difficult to shake and continue as if nothing had changed, but he has to at least act like it.

Even after his abrupt and unexplained departure from their night out, Bronn is still friendly, if that is the correct word for the way Bronn is. 

There is less focus and vigor to his lectures despite the subject matter being something that previously brought him solace. 

It seems that Brienne, in her quiet cordiality, is rather observant than he originally perceived. She decides to sit next to him where he eats, or nibbles, at his lunch alone.

“Are you alright?” Brienne asks.

Jaime frowns, not quite sure why she is asking or how to answer the question. 

“I’m... fine,” He finally responds, in a strained tone. “Why are you asking me?”

“I noticed you. Not just because you’re the new guy, but because you’re completely different than the rest of the professors, besides Bronn. They’re all one type. I learned that very early on, and even the new additions quickly try to adapt in order to fit in. You didn’t.”

“I don’t care about fitting in,” Jaime tells her.

Brienne nods in agreement. “Neither do I, but the point I was getting to was that I noticed that there was more to you than what initially meets the eye and there’s something you’re keeping hidden beneath the surface.”

Jaime raises a brow. “That’s a vague supposition.”

“It’s about someone you love, isn’t it? Love is the most complex thing in the world,” Brienne guesses.

“We don’t choose who we love,” Jaime replies. 

“No, we don’t,” Brienne says as she glares into his eyes.

Jaime’s clears his throat and diverts his gaze. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you don’t know me. Not at all. And I don’t care to be noticed or observed or share what it is that you believe I have hidden beneath the surface. Have a nice day, Professor Tarth.” 

***

Exactly two weeks after Tyrion leaves, to the very date, Jaime hears a knock at his door while he sits quietly in his study.

He doesn’t have unannounced visitors here, not unless it is a food delivery or a package, and Tyrion’s next visit isn’t scheduled for months. 

As he makes his way to the door, his mind runs through the possibilities of who it could be until it lands on _ her._

His heart twists into a sick combination of hope and anxiety. 

When he opens the door, he discovers that his hypothesis was correct and the surprise takes his breath away.

Technically, she takes his breath away. 

He thinks that he must’ve forgotten just how beautiful she was since they had last seen each other.

“Cersei,” He breathes.

“Are you going to let me in?” Cersei asks instead of a greeting. 

Jaime moves out of the way and takes her bag from her hand as she makes her way into his house.

He watches her take a look around as he silently debates where to put her bag without putting it in his bedroom and seeming too presumptuous.

He decides to simply sit it down on the sofa.

“Why are you here, Cersei?” Jaime asks after a long, distinctly uncomfortable silence. 

“I couldn’t do it anymore,” She answers without turning around to face him.

Jaime shrugs. “Well, neither could I. What of it?”

“You didn’t call or anything.”

“Neither did you.” 

“There we are, then. At a standstill from our own mutual stubbornness,” Cersei says, a smirk playing on her lips. 

“I love it when you psychoanalyze our relationship,” Jaime replies sarcastically.

Cersei rolls her eyes, not the slightest bit amused by his sarcasm. “Sometimes it needs to be viewed through a psychoanalytic lens.”

“Then, tell us, Professor, what’s the overarching moral of this lesson?”

“We will always find our way back to each other. No matter what,” Cersei tells him as if it is the most obvious fact. 

“That is true. Of course we will, but this isn’t healthy to continue doing this over and over again in a vicious cycle simply because we know we’ll end up here again,” Jaime says. 

Cersei huffs in frustration, but she can’t interject to deny the truth of his words. 

Jaime ignores that and continues. “Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it, and that’s exactly what we’ve done with our relationship history. We don’t correct the mistakes we’ve made that cause these massive fallouts so we do it again. This has to stop somewhere.”

“That is majorly reductive. It isn’t simple enough to say that it has to stop so it will stop. We don’t have the freedoms or the luxuries that some couples are able to take in order to be together. The very nature of our relationship and the consequent need to hide it and keep it a secret throughout our lives is exactly what has caused it to be so unhealthy,” Cersei argues.

“That doesn’t mean that we can’t aim for better.” 

“What, then? What can we possibly do to make this any better? What is your grand plan, Jaime?” 

“I moved here, far away from home, where no one knows me, who I am, where I came from, and there is a certain comfort in that. I don’t see why you can’t do the same and join me here and we can be together where no one knows who we are,” Jaime explains. 

Cersei scoffs at his plan. “You want me to move here? I have a lead professorship at one of the best universities in Westeros.”

“Yet you’re not happy there. Yet... you’re here standing in front of me, willingly away from your job.”

Cersei visibly swallows.

“Besides, it may be small, but this is a great university in its own right, and there is a gap that needs to be filled in the area of your research in psychology,” Jaime informs her. 

“And they’re just going to hand me the position because I’m your sister?”

“Or because you’re my wife,” Jaime answers.

When she frowns, he pulls out a diamond ring from his pocket. 

“You still have that?” Cersei asks.

“Of course.” 

After a moment, Cersei takes the ring from his hand and turns it around her finger as she considers the decision.

Jaime vividly remembers the day that they were married and he was naive enough to think that they would live happily ever after.

“You’ve had it cleaned since...” Cersei begins. “You hoped that I’d wear it again.”

“Like you said, we do always find our way back to each other. I just hoped that this time, it would be for good,” Jaime replies.

Finally, Cersei puts the ring on her left ring finger and puts her hand out to look at it.

Jaime exhales a sigh of relief. “You—“

“Yes,” Cersei answers before he can finish.

Jaime moves closer to her, cupping the sides of her face in his hands before he leans in to kiss her. 

“I’m never letting you go again,” Jaime says breathlessly once he pulls away.

Cersei nods as they look into each other’s eyes.

“Never.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! This is a concept that was inspired solely by pictures of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in which, to me, he looked like a professor sitting in his study, so I wanted to write an AU in which Jaime was a professor. This was the result of that. Hopefully, I’ll write more from this verse that either clarifies background details or shows you what happens next. Let me know if you want that.


End file.
